Geological Echo. La Pietà
Salvador Dalí
Dalí reinterprets Michelangelo’s La Pietà, merging sacred imagery with surreal geological forms (1982). The figures’ bodies become fragmented landscapes, symbolizing the erosion of memory and time. Created during Gala’s final years, the work reflects personal grief, exploring themes of love, loss, and the unconscious through voids that resonate with emotional depth and introspection.
Discobolus
Myron
This Roman marble statue (mid-2nd c.) is a faithful copy of Myron’s Greek bronze Discobolus (c. 450 BC). It depicts an athlete in a dynamic pose, poised to release a discus, showcasing the Greek exploration of human form and movement. The sculpture highlights the tension and grace of athletic prowess, reflecting Roman admiration for Greek art and the enduring legacy of classical ideals in depicting the human body.
Tomb of Archbishop Scherlatti
Nino Pisano
This marble relief (c. 1300–1350) formed part of the tomb of Archbishop Scherlatti. Christ is depicted in the Imago Pietatis pose, rising from the tomb with eyes closed, flanked by two mourning angels. The scene blends devotional tenderness with refined Gothic elegance, exemplifying Nino Pisano’s lyrical style and the growing emotional realism in 14th-c. funerary art.
Apollo and Daphne with The Apotheosis of Romulus
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Mariano Rossi
Bernini’s sculpture (1622–25) captures the climactic moment in Ovid’s Metamorphoses when the nymph Daphne, fleeing Apollo’s desire, transforms into a laurel tree. Above, Rossi’s Apotheosis of Romulus celebrates Rome’s divine origins. Romulus ascends, clutching Roma—helmeted symbol of the eternal city—while Fame, winged and bearing a trumpet, heralds his glory with laurel crowns. Together, sculpture and fresco exalt mythic transformation and Rome’s enduring legacy.
Venus and Capricorn
Baldassarre Peruzzi
The painting (c.1511) in the Loggia of Galatea depicts Venus, the goddess of love, on a shell surrounded by doves, symbols of love. Beside her, Capricorn, a hybrid creature, represents astrological wisdom. This artwork merges mythological beauty with cosmic symbolism, reflecting the Renaissance fascination with harmony between earthly and celestial realms. The inclusion of Capricorn underscores the era's belief in astrology's influence on human affairs.
Madonna and Child with St Anne (Madonna dei Palafrenieri)
Caravaggio
This bold altarpiece (1605–06) shows the Virgin Mary guiding the Christ Child as he crushes a serpent—symbol of original sin. St Anne watches solemnly, evoking generational grace. Caravaggio’s realism and chiaroscuro infuse the holy scene with human emotion, provoking awe and controversy upon its brief display in St Peter’s.
The Risen Christ
Michelangelo
Michelangelo's The Risen Christ (1521) depicts the resurrected Christ holding a cross, symbolizing triumph over death. This marble statue embodies Renaissance humanism, blending classical beauty with spiritual dignity. The idealized nude form reflects the fusion of divine suffering and victory, showcasing Michelangelo's mastery in capturing both physical perfection and profound spiritual themes.
Champán en el río Magdalena
De la Rue & Torres Méndez
This 1878 lithograph depicts a champán, a flat-bottomed river raft common on the Magdalena River, propelled by Afro-Colombian workers using long poles. Wealthy passengers rest under a thatched shelter, highlighting the stark racial and class divisions of the era. The image captures both Colombia’s natural landscape and its colonial labor hierarchies in transition.
Leda and the Swan
Fernando Botero
This 1996 bronze sculpture reinterprets the myth in which Zeus, king of the gods, seduces or assaults Leda, Queen of Sparta, in the form of a swan. From their union, according to legend, were born Helen of Troy and other heroic figures. Botero’s voluptuous forms soften the myth’s violence, transforming it into a surreal, sensual tableau. His signature style invites reflection on desire, divinity, and the boundary between seduction and power.
Self-Portrait with Stalin
Frida Kahlo
Painted in 1954, right before death, this political work shows Kahlo seated beside an imposing image of Stalin, whom she revered late in life. The portrait—originally titled Peace on Earth so the Marxist Science may Save the Sick and Those Oppressed by Criminal Yankee Capitalism—reflects her Marxist convictions and final artistic ideological defiance.
The Lagoon of Peace
Jorge Alberto Smith Ellas
This 2021 oil and acrylic painting evokes serenity and ancestral rhythm. A golden twilight bathes the rural scene, where everyday life unfolds by a calm lagoon. The composition speaks to Colombia’s Pacific and Caribbean heritage, honoring peace through stillness, memory, and connection to the land.
Orestes Pursued by the Furies
Painter of the Birth of Dionysus
This Apulian red-figure krater, used for mixing wine and water, (410–390 BC) depicts Orestes defending himself with a sword against the Erinyes, avenging his mother's death. Apollo, seated with a bow, offers protection, symbolizing divine sanction amid human guilt. This scene illustrates the complex interplay of justice and retribution in Greek mythology.
Apollo and Daphne (detail)
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
In this electrifying detail from Apollo and Daphne (1622–25), Daphne’s transformation peaks: her fingers stretch skyward as they fracture into laurel branches. Bernini’s carving achieves an uncanny fluidity—Apollo’s embrace contrasts her fleeing limbs, while bark and hair blur into motion, embodying divine metamorphosis and tragic escape.
The Glory of the Holy Spirit
Giovanni Battista Gaulli
This radiant fresco (c. 1679) fills the dome with concentric rings of clouds, gilded ribs, and crowded figures. At the center, the Holy Spirit appears as a white dove in a glowing medallion, encircled by saints and angels swept upward in swirling light. The painted architecture merges with the real cornice, a Baroque illusion that makes the vault seem to open into a realm of revelation.
Adam and Eve
Tintoretto
Tintoretto’s painting (1550–53) depicts the biblical scene of temptation in the Garden of Eden. Eve offers the forbidden fruit to Adam, with their expulsion illustrated in the background. Influenced by Michelangelo, the composition emphasizes the nude figures and employs oblique lines to structure the landscape. This work reflects the Renaissance interest in human form and moral themes.
“When the path is beautiful, do not ask where it leads.” — Zen proverb
Welcome to my travel photography!
“When the path is beautiful, do not ask where it leads.” — Zen proverb
Welcome to my travel photography!
For as long as I can remember, my path has been one of discovery—seeking beauty, timelessness, and connection in every corner of the world. It has also been a journey of deep learning and understanding. I’ve been an avid traveler (or perhaps a travel addict?) for most of my life. My love for travel began long before I ever left home: as a child, I drew a fantasy map of my grandparents’ apartment and “traveled” through it with my cousin Sonya, imagining adventures in every corner. Nearly 90 countries and countless moments of awe later, I’m excited to share this journey with you.
Thanks to the tireless and ingenious programming of Diagilev, we’re now able to present about fifteen percent of the images I’ve accumulated over the years. More will be released in small batches depending on your interest. While the first release leans toward museum photography, later ones will include more nature, architecture, culture, and general travel experiences. If you’d like to receive email notifications about new releases, feel free to reach out—no commercial use, ever.
Throughout my travels, I’ve been drawn to two intertwined kinds of discovery. One is intellectual: learning why the world is the way it is. History became my guide, shaping my perspective and filling my camera roll with museums and old buildings. To me, history is not the past—it is the key to understanding the present and how the world became what it is. The other is emotional: seeking moments of elevation—spirituality, beauty, harmony—often found in nature, monasteries, and ancient sacred spaces. Together, these impulses shape my photography. It invites you to learn, admire, and soar—to rise above the mundane and see the world through a lens of curiosity and wonder.
Much of my later travel became possible thanks to my job with Delta Air Lines, but the wanderlust began years earlier. By the time I joined the industry, I had already visited over 35 countries and lived in several—largely thanks to a backpacking journey around the world with Luis León, whose face appears in many early photos. I grew up in Ufa in the USSR, and since leaving it I have lived, studied, and worked in Latvia, the United States, France, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Japan, and Colombia.
A life of near-constant movement may seem a little crazy, but it has deepened my understanding of the world and produced the photography you are about to see. Over the years, my style has evolved—more intentional, more refined—yet its core remains the same: a search for understanding, timeless beauty, and a connection to those who walked this earth long before us.
I hope these photos stir something in your soul, just as they did in mine. I’d love to hear from you—whether reactions, suggestions, corrections, or a request to be added to the email list for new releases (no commercial use, I promise). You can learn more about my travels here, and my academic life here.
Enjoy our shared journey!